Tag: Marketing

The Viral Marketing Epidemic: A Marketer’s Dream

Viral marketing campaigns have the highest ROI for any marketing strategy that has ever been conceptualized. When a viral marketing campaign sets hearts and minds on fire, it reaches across a vast spectrum of target marketing segments. According to Kaplan and Haenlein, a viral marketing campaign combines compelling content and a bit of luck: hopefully, the audience will catch on and create hype (2011, p. 261). It’s important that the audience “gets” the message and becomes inspired to share it with their friends and family. The messaging must be just right for a campaign to go viral.

Appealing Authenticity

One instance of an attempted viral marketing campaign that didn’t catch is Sony’s “Charlie and Jeremy’s PSP blog” (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2011, p. 259). Sony crafted a fake blog dedicated to a teenager’s desire for a PSP for Christmas. Efforts fell short because readers were able to determine that the content was written by marketers and not teenagers. Sony was forced to admit to faking a blog. So, the thing about the campaign that went viral was the #fail that was the result of an overly-conceptualized marketing effort.

Beanie Babies and Salt Bae: Why?

Kaplan and Haenlein mentioned that the original form of viral marketing was word of mouth (2011, p. 254). The first thing that came to mind at the mention of word of mouth viral marketing was the ridiculously popular toy TY Beanie Babies. Beanie Babies are the hand-sized stuffed animals that set 90’s hearts on fire. I was in elementary school, and a few of my classmates’ parents let them stay home from school on the days ty released certain Beanie Babies they wanted for their collection.

I never understood the appeal of Beanie Babies (kind of like how I don’t understand certain viral memes today – that guy sprinkling salt on steak? Salt Bae: What?). Looking back, I wish I had partaken in the hype because some Beanie Babies today are valued upwards of about $5,000 (“The 10 Most Valuable Beanie Babies,” 2018). This is how viral marketing campaigns work. Even if they conceptually doesn’t make sense, it may be beneficial to buy into their hype because Beanie Babies.

References

Kaplan, A.M., & Haenlein, M. (2011). Two hearts in three-quarter time: How to waltz the social

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and blogs are self-explanatory. For the most part, the creation and consumption that occur on these social media platforms are instinctual. One social media platform I have struggled with for the better part of the past five years is Snapchat. However, the moment I learned about the wonders of stories and Snapchat filters, and Bitmoji (customizable avatars), I was all in!

(Let’s connect! Scan my Snap code.)

Snap-What?

It is an established fact that social media has evolved from a pastime to a marketing tool and is also a star-maker. Snapchat is the fastest growing platform for millennials, with 56% of 18-29-year-olds engaging in daily use (Willis, 2017). Snap has led the way in temporary social media, with posts that disappear once the recipient views the message, photo, or video.

Snapchat is the best social media option for those who have commitment issues. Snapchat is also fantastic for businesses who have a Millennial target audience.

In short, Snapchat is a modified messenger and media sharing platform that reduces the necessity of wasting media storage on one’s device. Companies are able to give users insight that literally disappears in moments! Flash sales that disappear in a flash give new meaning to social media marketing strategies.

Facebook Dislike

Although Facebook is the reigning champion of social media platforms, FB has seen a 5% drop in usage between 2017 and 2018 (Hutchinson, 2018). Facebook analysts are revamping the algorithm that impacts users’ news feed to increase engagement. The shift in strategy for Facebook is also useful for social media strategies across platforms.

I left Facebook in September of last year and I haven’t looked back. Perhaps when I build my business again, I’ll be active again. For now, I’ll happily snap away.

Tweet Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want

Twitter is one of the most popular and effective social media platforms to date. According to Comm and Taylor, Twitter is considered the most powerful microblogging platform (2015). The power of Twitter lies in its simplicity. Posting short updates, or tweets to followers gives users the space to respond to each other in real time.

Pinterest: The Fusion of Traditional and Innovative Marketing

Pinterest is the social media smorgasbord of all things interesting and commercial. From recipes to interior décor ideas to the latest fashions, Lipschultz refers to the enriching experience that is Pinterest marketing as social media capital (2015). I recently asked a friend for a recipe for her favorite salad dressing, and she directed me to her Pinterest Healthy Eating recipe board, which showcased not only recipes and methods, but the cookbooks they initially appeared in. Continue reading “Pinterest: The Fusion of Traditional and Innovative Marketing”→

YouTube as a Millionaire Maker

Twenty years ago, if a child told his mother that he planned to become a multi-millionaire by playing videogames and recording that session and uploading it on the Internet, chances are, that child’s mother would have responded with some degree of bewilderment and consternation. In 2015 according to Forbes’ Madeline Berg, YouTube sensation PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, earned a cool $12 million through his video game-playing channel.